Human Ovaries Can Make New Eggs: Dispelling the Fertility Myth

Updated: May 1

From the 1950s until the early 2000s, the dominant thought was that women are born with all the eggs she will ever have inside her ovaries. This myth has been busted with multiple studies starting with animal studies and eventually human studies. Researchers found oogonial stem cells in the ovaries of humans, which can create new oocytes (the fancy term for eggs). Now, whether this information will lead to changes in fertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is yet to be seen. It is an exciting finding and offers hope for advancements in the field of infertility. As a doctor who works with couples with fertility concerns, I look forward to further research in this emerging area.